Rangers Apprentice: Foreigners Greed
by Poseidonschild
Summary: Will Treaty isn't the son of Daniel as he had always thought, but his nephew - at least that's what the person who looks exactly like him keeps saying. Sorting out his heritage while tracking down a heartless slave dealer is not simple. Why won't his shadow go away?
1. Prologue

It was a quiet night in the dessert coastal town. The air was humid from the afternoon heat, but a fresh breeze whispered in and out of the stucco buildings offering a small relief from the warmth. Te evening was lethargic. Men and women ambled home at a slow pace, children raced ahead eager to have food in their stomachs after a long day of playing. Laughter filled the air, and a baby being put down for a nap cried out in protest. Slowly, the lights in the homes went out and the street darkened.  
A man in a ghutrah walked in and out o the shadows, the only one on the street. He wove in and out of the alleys before reaching the outskirts of town and began making his way towards the nearby hill. A soft glow blazed against the sky from the direction he was headed and as he approached the noise of drinking and belligerent laughter reached his ears. Most importantly was the quick barely decipherable sounds of an auctioneer and the wailing of small children and desperate cries of women. The man crested the hill and smiled.  
Men were conjured around a wide circle, each with their own drink in hand. In the center of the circle a man dressed in rich cloth walked its perimeter shouting out in the quick refrain only auctioneers and those who attended them regularly could understand. A young boy stood in the center o the circle, his head held high refusing to be cowed and give in to his indignity. His hands were tied before him, he wore no shirt - an effort to show off the little strength he had - his pants were torn and he wore no shoes upon his feet. A man shouted out from the audience and the boy turned to glare at him as the auctioneer upped the asking price. The man smiled as he sauntered forward. After months of searching he had finally found the location of the infamous slave auction.


	2. Chapter 1: Meeting

Henry watched as the cloaked figure drifted down the shadowed hall. It was hard to keep track of him as he seemed to fade in and out of the darkness. The figure froze and Henry lost sight of him, but a slight movement out of the corner of his eye told him that the figure was moving again. He finally came to a stop at a door that Henry was familiar with. It was the same door that Henry had been going to when he sensed the second person in the hall. He couldn't see the figure anymore. It was like he faded into the background when he stopped. A sound echoed down the hall breaking the silence; a soft knocking - one tap, three taps, and then two taps. A code, Henry realized. He watched the door open slightly and then widen, the faint candlelight silhouetting the figure at the door. It was only a brief glimpse, but it was enough for Henry. His fiancée had just admitted a man into her bedroom, and it was clear, by the patterned knocking on her door, that this was arranged and it wasn't a knew experience for her.

Henry hesitated at his spot in the hall. Should he go back to his room and confront her in private or should he confront her now, in the act when she would be unable to deny anything? He decided to wait.

"How went your investigation?" Elizabeth asked in a hushed voice.

"Not as well as I hoped," Will answered as he fell into a seat by the fire. "How was your trip here? Any trouble?"

"No, Henry's guards all do an excellent job," Elizabeth assured.

"And what do you think of Henry?" Will asked curiously.

Elizabeth blushed, and looked away, biting on her lip. "He's very kind and sweet. He looks, Will I haven't told him this, but he looks exactly like you. You could be twins. It's so hard at times not to slip and call him by your name," she explained.

Will studied his ward for a moment wondering if she was exaggerating. "Well, some people can be very similar in looks," Will suggested.

Elizabeth shook her head, "you two don't look similar Will. You two look like twins. If it wasn't for his finery I wouldn't be able to tell the two of you apart."

Will arched an eyebrow in a manner that was similar to his mentor, Halt. "Surely there are some differences," he supplied.

Elizabeth bit on her lip as she thought. "Henry is a little more broad, but he's trained as a knight with a sword all his life. He's also a little more open, but you both have the same easy-going personality; yours has a more cynical edge I think."

Will sat in thought for a moment rolling over Elizabeth's words in his mind. "I suppose the only thing I can do is wait and see him myself. I honestly don't know what to think of this. I suppose that was him in the hall I saw before I came in here. I'm afraid he's not going to be very happy with you in the morning," will noted.

"What?" Elizabeth asked, a look of horror on her angelic face.

"Yes, he was just coming out of his room," Will explained. "I wonder where he could possibly be going in the middle of the night." Elizabeth's blushed again and looked away. "Oh, come now, I'm hardly one to uphold proprieties. I just want to make certain he's not being to forward."

Elizabeth looked at her folded hands in her lap. "He likes to come and give me a kiss goodnight once everyone has gone to bed. He had to meet with his men this evening so I thought he had forgone the tradition tonight, thinking perhaps that I was already asleep. Oh what must he think of me, letting a man into my room."

Will bit back his amusement at his friends distress. He wasn't being vicious in his amusement, but he had developed an appreciation for tormenting someone with information from his mentor. Honestly though, they should now him better. Still he held quiet for a while and let Elizabeth fret. "Lizzy, Henry isn't going to be mad," Will assured. "I'll be sure to inform him of his mistake."

Henry watched his betrothed float down the stairs. She was elegant and beautiful, far more than he had ever hoped to have in a wife and she wasn't his. She was arranged to marry him while she gave herself to another. Last night he had thought long and hard on what he had seen in the hall. He had come to the conclusion that he couldn't hold it against her if she was truly in love with the man. They had never met until last week, despite knowing that they would always be married. She had no emotional attachment to him, nothing that tied her to him beyond a signed paper between their fathers. He would confront her about her laiszon but if she professed to love the man then he would step aside. He didn't want a miserable wife. He wanted one that wished to be with him.

"Good morning, Sir Henry," Elizabeth said quietly, a slight smile on her face that was reflected in her eyes. She looked truly happy to see him. Henry could find no hint of guilt in his betrothed's eyes as she looked up at him.

"Good morning, Elizabeth," he smiled at her and then kissed her hand. She frowned slightly, but it quickly vanished as she replaced it with a smile. Perhaps she could sense his unhappy mood.

"I apologize in advance, but sadly we have to get started early this morning, I've taken the liberty of packing you a meal for breakfast."

"Oh, no it's no problem, shall we?" She asked.

Henry led her outside in to the sun where her horse was already saddled and waiting, one of her guards holding its reins. Henry glanced around his eyes searching for a man who looked like the one who was skulking in the hall. There were no knew faces and no suspicious looking figures hiding around the buildings. However, Henry had the impression that even though he couldn't see him the man could still be there hiding in plain sight.

"Good morning Lady Elizabeth," Her man bowed.

"Good morning Tom," Elizabeth smiled kindly. "Have you seen Will this morning?" Elizabeth asked the question everyday. Henry came to understand that Will was specially assigned to escort her to his home, but Elizabeth had been in the country now for a week and Henry had never seen the man. Elizabeth had assured him that he had business to attend to for another matter and that he would be back soon to do his job.

Tom nodded and then pointed up the road, "He met with us this morning and then went on ahead. Said he was going to scout out the road. Overheard some o' the patrons talking about highway men down the way."

"I wouldn't put much stock in what they say, most of them were drunk and bound to spin tells. Man probably dropped his purse and couldn't find it," Henry chuckled.

Tom shrugged, "mayhaps."

"We'll I hope he doesn't find anything," Elizabeth muttered.

"I'm sure he's smart enough not to confront them," Henry assured mistaking her concern.

Tom and Elizabeth gave him an odd look. "That's precisely what he'll do," Elizabeth said seriously. "I was simply worried about having to take the men with us when we caught up with them."

"My dear if he confronts them we'll have to put together a rescue party," Henry said with concern. "One man can't take on a group of highway men."

Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak, but then shook her head and turned to mount her horse. Henry helped her up and then mounted his own horse. They started on their way with Henry digging in his saddle bags for the meal he had packed for Elizabeth. He had meant to speak with her while they rode, but Tom must have received strict instructions to not leave his lady's side. While he respected the man for following his orders and trying to keep Elizabeth safe, he felt that the man had chosen the worst day ever to become overbearing. Elizabeth chatted amicably withTom as they rode which reassured him that she would be a good woman to have at his side, it also left him bitter to know that the woman's heart did not and perhaps would not belong to him.

"Rider approaches, my lord!" A rear guard shouted. Henry looked up and out in the direction his guard was pointing. Sure enough a figure on horse was moving quickly in their direction. It wasn't suspicious in any way, the man simply seemed to be in a hurry. Henry motioned for his men to move to the side and Henry made certain that he was between the approaching man.

"That's Will," Elizabeth noted a moment later.

"Lizzy, the mans a forester," Henry noted.

"A lot of people make that mistake," Elizabeth said dryly. "Its what makes his kind dangerous."

"Tom said your friend went ahead of us though, this man is coming from behind," Henry pointed out.

"Alright, we will do this your way," Elizabeth agreed. "But if the horse is a peppered grey, then it's Will," she said adamantly.

"Someone could have taken his horse," Henry suggested amused at her determination of the identity of the figure.

Elizabeth let out an unladylike snort that she had obviously tried to hold back without success. "I would love to see someone try. It's supposed to be impossible."

Henry studied his fiancée in amusement. She certainly seemed to have some fanciful views where the mysterious stranger was concerned. The man slowed as he came closer and Tom broke away from Elizabeth's side to meet the stranger. They exchanged a few words and then Tom led the way back to Elizabeth's side providing enough room between each of them for the stranger to stop his horse.

"Lord Henry, allow me to present Will Treaty," Tom introduced.

"A warm day to where your cowl, Mr. Treaty," Henry observed politely hinting at the mans rudeness.

"You have a tail about a mile behind you," Will said abruptly, ignoring his comment. "Twenty men ahead of you. There's a tree blocking the road ahead. Probably trying to get the guards off their horses. Five are mounted. Professionals, this isn't their first time."

"Your certain?" Henry asked hesitantly. Henry could feel the mans gaze boring into him and felt the urge to shift uncomfortably in the saddle.

"Why on Earth would I say something if I wasn't? Is that a habit in England to give reports without verifying them?" Will asked acerbically.

Henry glared at the man and then shifted in the saddle to look behind him. "There was a cut off a mile or so back. We could take that route, but it will add a day or two to our travels."

"Mot to mention we leave a group of highway men to rob the next group that goes by,". Will said dryly.

"What do you suggest we do then?" Henry glared.

"Who do you trust to do a job without you?" Will asked.

"Greyson!" Henry called out. "Get over here."

"Seeven!" Will called out. He waited until both men were before him before issuing orders, "just around the bend in the road there's a tail. Bring him up here and go from behind so that he moves to us if he picks up on you."

"Ranger," Seeven nodded and then led his mount into the woods, Greyson behind him.

"Tom, McMillan, get rid of your armor and hide your swords," Will ordered. Henry's men looked at each other in confusion, but the Arluen knights were grinning mischievously.

"What are you doing?" Henry asked.

"Tom and McMillan are going to go ahead; two knights who are being very relaxed in their guard," Will explained. "They're going to be my bait."

"You are...and what are we supposed to be doing?" Henry asked.

"I thought it was obvious," Will grumbled. "Your staying here."

"So three men against twenty," Henry observed dryly losing faith in this strangers plan.

Will shruged his shoulders, "I guess I don't really need Tom and McMillan, but I would rather deal with this quickly." Will rode away before Henry could make a response, Tom and Mcmillan riding behind with him.

He looked over to Elizabeth to see that she didn't seem very concerned with the situation. "You dont seem worried," he noted.

She smiled at him slightly and then shrugged, "Will knows what he is doing.

"I don't like the odds," he said dryly.

"I'm assuming the rumors about the Arluen Rangers have never reached this far," Elizabeth observed.

"I can't say they have, I have never heard of them," Henry assured.

Elizabeth giggled, "It's probably best. The commoners believe that Ranger's dabble in the dark arts."

"Do they?" Henry asked.

"No, witchcraft is just a silly superstition, don't tell me you believe in it?" she asked.

"I can't say that I don't," Henry shrugged. "I'm not sure that I do either."

Elizabeth smiled at him. "That's what will says too, but Ranger's are very skilled at moving about unseen and unheard. Its why the commoners believe that they are black magicians. They don't do much to squash those rumors either," Elizabeth giggled. Her words triggered Henry's memory and brought him back to the night before and how the man that Elizabeth was seeing seemed to drift in and out of the shadows. Had that been Will? "Well, no one really knows anything about the Ranger's not even the King and they go out of their way to keep it that way. But one thing has been made very clear, Ranger's are experts at fighting against the odds and you never want to be on the opposition. It doesn't end well."

"And how good is Will?" Henry asked.

Elizabeth pondered it for a moment, "My father says that he would never want to make an enemy of Will. That he's the most dangerous man he's met and that includes Areluen hero, Halt Arratay." Henry studied his fiancee skeptically and wondered if what her father said was the truth or if they were both fanciful by nature. Elizabeth sighed, "I suppose you would have to see him in action to understand."

"Have you seen him in action?" Henry asked horrified.

Elizabeth shook her head, "No, but I've grown up with the stories and I've heard my father talk about them when reports come in."

"What do they do?" Henry asked.

"They were put together to protect the nation from the inside," Elizabeth exlained. "They report only to the King and they spy on the Baron's. They are also Arluen's first line of defence from any outside invasion. Their job is to neutralize an invasion before it actually becomes one."

"Give me an example," Henry demanded.

Elizabeth pondered for a moment, "I remember a report coming in several years ago. Will was sent to Macindaw to investigate the mrmurings of a wizard that was haunting the woods. Instead Will discovered a crafty healer with a hand at illusions and a plot to overthrow Macindaw and let the scots into Arluen. Macindaw was already taken from the inside even before he had arrived, but Will found out when the Scotts were supposed to cross the pass and then led thrity-five scandians on a seige against the castle."

"How did he expect to take a castle with so little men," Henry asked dumbfound. "Surely Macindaw was well guarded."

"Papa said that he would have needed twice four times the amount of men to achieve what Will did," Elizabeth nodded. "Will figured out that you only need that amount of men to attack the castle, but that once you've gained the battlements you only need a few men."

"Telling Arluen Secrets, Lizzy?"

Henry almost jumped when Will seemed to materialize out of the woods on his peppered grey. "Hardly secrets, your a legend everywhere, I'm just telling Henry the most recent stories," Elizabeth smirked.

"They don't know me in Toscana," Will mumured. "Or in Gallica."

"Fine, they don't know you everywhere," Elizabeth grumbled. "Your too humble Will."

"I'm making up for the lack in others," he said, his voice had a pointed edge. Elizabeth grimaced. "Twenty men are tied up and being watched whenever your ready."

"How did you get them to just surrender?" Henry asked as they moved forward.

"I told them I would seal them up in a tree," Will said.

"Your not going to turn them into daisy's?" Henry asked a hesitant chuckle in his voice.

"I only do that to people who ask pointless and useless questions," Will snapped as he rode up ahead Henry and Elizabeth following behind.


End file.
